A Christmas Eve Tale
by jjbird
Summary: It's a snowy evening in NYC and Sam is hanging out with Danny and Elena. Set the same year after S7 ended. J/S of course, but some D/E too.


**A/N**: This is one of those quickly written -for me- stories, which I wanted to get out for Christmas. Sorry that it wasn't earlier, and also sorry as it is un-betaed, which is not something I usually like to do -so my apologies to my beta, the lovely Mariel, as time was of the essence. This is for the Jack and Sam fans, in particular my good buddy Diane, who keeps me going. Happy holidays, everyone!

**Disclaimer**: CBS blah blah blah. Pffft, it's not like they care about it any more.

* * *

Xx-

"_Feliz navidad_…"

Elena glared at her husband. "Danny, stop."

There was a definite twinkle in his eye as he grinned and carried on singing. "_Feliiiiiiiiiiiz naviDAD!_"

"No, no, NO!" she said, hurling a cushion at him across the living room.

It missed by several feet as Danny was already in the kitchen area, still undeterred. "_Próspero año y felicidad_..."

Then it got much worse. "I wanna wish you a merry Christmas," Samantha joined in. Danny sidled up to her behind the bench, safe from Elena's throwing and sang along with her. "I wanna wish you a merry Christmas; I wanna wish you a merry Christmas, from the bottom of my heeeeeeaaaaaart!"

Elena's eyes were thoroughly rolled. "Honestly guys, that was _the_ worse version I have ever heard, and I'm over it."

"Oh, I think it's a nice Christmassy song," Samantha said, pouring out two glasses of red wine. "If a little repetitive," she added.

"He's only singing it because he knows I can't stand it." Elena said, coming over to join them, and then she prodded Danny playfully on the arm.

"Hey!" he yelped, rubbing where she got him. "There _is_ a reason: my folks would never let me and Rafie sing it at home –'Too latino, too obvious', they always said, 'too stereotypical.'"

Shaking her head, Elena sighed. "Whereas my parents just _loved_ it. Oh God, it was just awful, _every_ single year…"

Danny smirked. "Okay, I'll cease and desist, but if Sofia ever wants to hear it, I'll oblige." He raised his large tumbler of orange juice. "Anyway, happy Christmas Eve, ladies," and they all took a sip from their glasses.

The company and the wine gave Samantha good cheer. "Thanks again for letting me stay for a few hours. Once Mom has finished decorating the place with Finn's 'help', I'll be allowed back in." Patricia Spade had arrived early that morning, whisked Finn into her arms and hadn't let him go since.

"Hey, it's no problem," Danny said, picking up a plate of chips and dip and leading them back into the living area. "We can't have you wandering around the streets alone on Christmas Eve, especially in this weather."

"And I'm glad for that," Samantha said, raising her glass to them again. "It's not a family tradition, but Mom wanted to do something just with Finn, small as he is -and it's not like Brian's exactly around to help." It had been two months to the day that Brian had decided that fatherhood and being part of a couple weren't his things after all, and had left. Samantha mentally toasted another glass to the wisest decision he'd probably ever made in his stupid, self-centered life.

They all sat down comfortably, admiring the Christmas tree Sofia and Danny had decorated earlier, before Sofia had retreated to her bedroom to play her latest videogame. She was still there, happy to do her own thing and leave the adults alone for awhile.

"It's moments like this that I'm relieved Martin's on call and not us," Elena said brightly.

"Well, he was muttering about having made plans, but it's not like it was a surprise or anything; the guilt trip wasn't going to work on any of us," Samantha pointed out.

Making himself even more at ease on the couch, Danny put his arm around Elena. "Viv certainly got out of town as fast as she could, and Jack should be in Chicago by now."

"Did he get away okay?" Samantha asked, casually as she could. "I was out of the office when he left."

Danny and Elena refrained from exchanging knowing looks.

But nevertheless Danny couldn't help himself. "Gee, I'm surprised you're worried."

"Well, I am. I know the weather's been terrible today -Mom barely made here this morning as it was, and it's even worse in Chicago. I hope he got out to be with his daughters."

"Oh, I think yours is more than just casual concern…" Elena said, this time glancing at her husband.

Samantha was shocked. "No! Why would you think that?"

"Come _on_," Danny waved a finger at her, "because ever since Brian left, and Hanna went back to Chicago about the same time, you and Jack have been either warily circling or skillfully avoiding each other –it's so damn obvious." He'd also seen Jack casting wistful looks in Samantha's direction, so he knew it wasn't all one-sided.

Samantha's jaw nearly dropped –had she been that blatant? "What...? Um… Well… I didn't think I'd been so transparent…" She'd been sprung and she knew it. "But as for Jack, I don't know what he wants and I don't think it's me… He's always a closed book until he wants you to know." She gazed disconsolately at her wine. Why was everything always so damn complicated?

"Until he wants you to know… that sounds like every man." Elena looked pointedly at Danny, and fortuitously for him, his cell phone on the kitchen bench beeped with a message. He cast a sardonic glance at his wife and went to check it.

"That better not be work," Elena warned.

He looked at the small screen. "No, not at all," he said, texting back a brief reply, a slight preoccupied look on his face. Looking up, he waved the wine bottle. "More, ladies?"

Samantha and Elena both raised their glasses, which were both curiously half-evaporated. "Yes, please!"

Xx—

After about ten minutes of idle chat, nibbles, more wine, orange juice and tree-appreciation, the doorbell rang.

Elena looked at Danny. "Are we expecting someone?"

"We are now," Danny replied, smirking. "Hey Sam, could you answer the door for us? We need to get some more chips and dip and stuff."

"We do?" asked Elena, watching him stand up.

He grabbed her hand. "We do." Then he walked her into the kitchen.

Samantha just looked at both of them in confusion as the doorbell rang again. "O-kay then," she said getting up, taking her wine with her. "I'll just open the door and let whatever's out there inside."

The opened door revealed Jack.

A Jack whose initial smile rapidly became a look of befuddlement. He took a step back and scanned the doorway. "Am I in the right place?"

She was equally baffled. "I guess so…" Taking a quick swig of her wine, she stood aside. "Ah, come on in…"

"Thank you," he said, walking past her, damp haired and damp coated from the snow.

"Jack!" greeted Danny. "Great you could make it."

"You look exhausted, what happened?" Elena asked as she took Jack's coat, having figured out who had sent the text.

"The usual holiday travel problems, thanks to the weather," Jack began, taking off his gloves. "I was at the airport for centuries. The waiting list was huge, so I just gave up, got in contact with my daughters and we made later plans…" Sitting himself down in an armchair, he rubbed his eyes. "Have I told you lately how much I hate hanging around airports? ... Oh God yes, thank you," he said as Danny gave him a glass of wine. "And to be honest," he sighed tiredly, "I didn't want to go back to my place right now." It had been dark and un-Christmas-like, and most importantly, lonely. He'd sent the SOS text because he needed something to cheer him up, and Danny and Elena's place was the best -and only- option.

"Well, you're always most welcome here," Elena said warmly.

"It's fine, Jack -the more the merrier," Danny said, as he and Elena both sat on the sofa. "You're not the only refugee here." He indicated Samantha.

She had been standing quietly nearby, observing and nursing her glass, not knowing whether to run out into the snow, or stay for God knows what.

"Oh yes," Jack said, turning his attention to her, he noticed how warm and cozy she looked. "You must be escaping your mom," he remarked lightly.

"Not really, just letting her and Finn have some time together."

He nodded. "Isn't…" -Christ, how he hated to say the name- "Brian going to part of the family unit for the holiday?" He was as bad as being casual as Samantha had been.

"He sent Finn some gifts, but no, he's not." She took a deep breath, emboldened by the wine. "Frankly, I don't care where he is or what he's doing."

Jack narrowed his eyes minutely. "Of _course_ not."

Elena elbowed Danny. "Uh-oh," she whispered.

Samantha took a step forward. "What do you mean by that?"

"Come on, you know he'll be back," Jack said, waving a hand in the air.

"That might happen one day, however he knows where we stand."

Jack took a mouthful of wine and savored it before answering, his eyes practically burrowing into Samantha. "And where _is_ that, precisely?"

This evening was certainly full of surprises. "You really want to get into this, Jack? Right here, right now?"

Putting his glass to one side, he stood. "Maybe I do."

"Ah Elena, I think we should check on Sofia," Danny ventured, patting her on her thigh.

"Ye-s, we should." Unnoticed by Jack and Samantha -who were glaring at each other- they slipped out to Sofia's room.

Where they could listen pressed up against the nearly closed door. Sofia had her headphones on as she played her game, but she rolled her eyes at them -as well as her mother could- without missing a moment of her game.

The wine in Samantha's glass was gone after the latest gulp. "What's your problem? You dumped _me_, remember?" she pointed out, thumping her glass down on the coffee table.

"You had been thinking the same thing back then, admit it. Anyway, I did because I could see what was happening, I was letting you go on purpose."

She nearly harrumphed. "A lot has changed since then."

"That's certainly true," Jack conceded.

"I… I thought you'd call, or say something." It wasn't as if they didn't see each other every day at work.

"Why –so we could mess it all up again? What would be the point of that?"

"I'm sure we would be fine."

"Yeah right, until the next younger, handsome guy comes along and bam, you're off."

"Is that what you think?

"Why wouldn't I -history repeats."

"Because it wouldn't happen, I know it for certain this time!"

That stopped him. It had also stopped Samantha as soon as the words came out.

Back in Sofia's room, Danny and Elena stared at each other. "About time," he whispered to her.

"So, you're telling me you want to get back together?" Jack asked.

"Yes, yes I do… Of _course_ I do."

"Then for crying out loud, Sam, if you don't get over here and kiss me, I will-"

"Will what?" she said, baiting him, but with a sly smile.

He glowered at her with the softest eyes. "I will be forced to kiss you first, and you know it's your turn-"

That was all she needed; what she wanted to hear.

And she was there in a heartbeat, her lips on his, her arms around him, holding him as tightly as she could.

Fiercely returning her kiss, he felt as if a huge weight had been released off his shoulders. Running his hand through a hank of her hair, he pulled away from her mouth.

"Damn it woman, why do we do this to ourselves?" he murmured.

She shook her head. "I don't know… You're serious, you want this –_us_."

"If I get any more serious, I may explode. Of course I want this, I want you, and I want us to be a family."

"Then kiss me again, and prove it."

Like he needed to be told.

By now, Elena and Danny had opened the door wide enough to look out. "Oh wow!" she whispered. "They're back together!" and they silently high-fived each other.

"And I thought this was going to be a lousy Christmas," Jack said softly, gazing with joy at Samantha.

"Here's a thought… We should give Mom some more time with Finn and go back to your place…"

"Hell yes -but it's not very festive there," Jack apologized in advance.

"That's okay, the bedroom doesn't need to be," Samantha said, with a glint in her eye.

A glint that Jack had also. "I like your thinking. Let's get going."

As they were quickly gathering up their belongings, Danny and Elena ventured out of hiding.

"Look at that, Elena, who says there aren't Christmas miracles any more?" Danny said, gesturing expansively at the other happy couple in the room.

"Is it okay if we head out?" Samantha asked, a touch sheepishly.

Elena hugged Samantha and kissed her on the cheek. "Not at all, go, be together. You need it."

Jack smiled as he took Samantha's hand. "You can say that again."

After more happy hugs, holiday wishes, and some manly backslaps, Jack and Samantha were finally on their way.

"You know, Jack?" Samantha asked, snuggling against him in one of the remaining taxis to be found. "Christmas really is the most magical time of the year."

"It always can be, if you want it to be." He squeezed her closer to him, a blissful man.

She tipped her head up to look at him. "I think it always will be... Merry Christmas, Jack."

"Merry Christmas, Sam," he whispered, kissing her again.

And it wasn't just the snow outside that was melting.

Xx-

The End.


End file.
